How to Grow Mint NON-STOP (Without It Taking Over!)

Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow, but also one of the easiest to get wrong. I’ve seen it completely take over gardens – no wonder it’s got a reputation for being a bit of a thug!

I’m going to show you how to grow vibrant, flavour-packed mint, without it getting out of hand. Get it right and you’ll have an endless supply of mint for teas, salads, pesto, and of course mojitos!

How to Grow Mint

Mint is a pretty versatile herb, in the garden as well as in the kitchen, and any good, moist, fertile soil or potting mix should see it thrive.

It grows best in full sun but also does well in a part-shaded spot, so if you have an awkward area in your garden that doesn’t get enough sun for most crops, mint could be the solution. In fact, in hotter climates a part-shaded spot may even be preferable as it will keep plants from drying out as quickly.

This lush, fleshy herb is naturally very thirsty, so it’s important to ensure it gets enough water. That’s easy if it’s grown in the ground, but container-grown mint will need a bit more attention.

Types of Mint

What I really love about mint is the many – many! – different types you can grow. The classic mints are peppermint and spearmint, perfect for teas and other drinks as well as ice cream and more. Every garden needs one of these!

There are many other mints named after what they smell like. Apple mint, banana mint, pineapple mint, orange mint, and a deliciously fresh lime mint. The smells are irresistible! There’s even a chocolate mint, with beautifully dark, almost mahogany-coloured stems and, of course, a chocolatey scent – the perfect pairing for a chocolate and mint ice cream perhaps?

Why not grow a selection of mints to enjoy? Mints can honestly form a whole herb collection in their own right!

Prevent Mint From Spreading

But what about it spreading, I hear you ask? Won’t mint take over my garden?

Mint spreads by special roots called rhizomes, which are horizontal, spreading stems. As the reach out across the surface of the soil they put down new roots, anchor into place, and continue on their journey. You’ve got to admire the determination of this plant!

And, in fact, this creeping habit is what makes it a super-resilient ground cover – ideal if you’re looking for something that will fill a space. You can always keep it to one area by growing it next to lawn so that you’re can mow around it.

But to control mint, the simplest solution is to keep it in a container – a literal contain-er! Plastic pots are best if you don’t want to spend too much time watering, though terracotta looks more attractive and is easy to make less high maintenance by lining with a plastic liner before filling. That way, soil moisture can’t be sucked out through the porous walls of the terracotta. There are plenty of other materials too of course, such as glazed pots that don’t have the downside of being porous like terracotta.

When you pot your mint on into a larger container, you don’t need to worry about doing it into incrementally larger pots because it will quickly fill its new pot. Rough up the sides of the rootball when potting it on to help to encourage new roots. Trim any lanky, excess growth down to the fresher growth at the bottom. This will stimulate bushier growth, and therefore a better-shaped and healthier plant.

At the end of the growing season, either pot the whole plant on into a larger container, or split it up to help refresh it. Some of the creeping stems can be trimmed, popped into water, rooted, and then grown on as new plants.

Taking Mint Cuttings

Can’t get enough of mint? Mint is incredibly easy to propagate. Take 4-6 in (10-15 cm) long cuttings, cutting just beneath a leaf node (where the leaves sprout from). Each node is capable of producing new roots, so it’s really hard to go wrong!

Strip off the lowest leaves and place cuttings in water (change out water every week or so), or plant directly into all-purpose potting mix. No hormone rooting powder or gel is needed as the cuttings root so readily. They’re almost foolproof!

Cuttings in potting mix should be kept out of direct sun to help them root without stress. Keep the potting mix moist at all times. Roots should start forming within a week or two, when you’ll notice fresh growth. Pot on once the plug trays or pots are full of roots.

If you don’t already have mint in your garden, try taking a few cuttings from a friend’s garden, or take cuttings from a supermarket pot of mint.

Dividing Mint

Perhaps the very easiest way (even easier than rooting in water, can you believe it!) is to simply split plants apart to create new ones – a propagation technique known as ‘division’.

Dividing mint plants is super easy. Dig it up or take it out of its pot, and with small plants you may be able to tear it apart into separate sections with your hands. You could use a pruning saw or serrated knife for bigger, more tangled plants if that’s easier. You could even use a spade for truly formidable clumps!

Dividing is a great way to breathe new life into your mint by stimulating fresh growth and opening up space for the plant to grow out into. Once you’ve potted up your mint divisions, cut them back to fresher growth to encourage bushier plants with even more growth to pick and enjoy.

How to Prune Mint

Hard-pruning mint is actually a great way to encourage fresh new growth on any lacklustre-looking plant. Just cut back or pick off tired, damaged, or disease or pest-affected foliage and let new growth revive it. Cutting back old stems will also improve general airflow, which is always a good thing.

The best time for a prune is when plants are dormant in the winter, after the last season’s growth has died off and you can see the fresh new growth for next season at the base of the plant. Simply cut back the old stems right down to soil level to create space for that new growth to take over next season. It’s a surefire way to keep your plants in ‘mint’ condition!

How to Use Mint

Mint is best harvested – if you can – in mid-morning. At this point the foliage is still nice and fresh, but the leaf surfaces have dried off and the aroma compounds in the leaves are at their most concentrated. Harvest regularly to encourage new growth and prevent stems getting tough and woody. Water after harvesting if it’s dry.

I never feed my in-ground mint, but in containers or raised beds you could tickle in an organic granular fertiliser towards the end of winter, just as growth is poised to kick back in for the new growing season. Sprinkle it according to packet instructions right down into the crown of the plant, then water it in.

With handfuls of harvested mint to enjoy, the question is: what to do with it all? Pesto, salads, teas and cocktails, smoothies, garnishes, infused waters, bath soaks and facial treatments…the list is endless! Store just-cut mint in jars of water to keep it fresh and ready when you are.

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